Moose Mountain High Fives!

Hi guys

In case you’re not completely bored of tales of Cosmics in Canada, here’s another one.

A couple of weeks ago I did my first hill race here – the Moose Mountain race. It’s not really comparable to anything in Scotland, but I suppose the Ben Rinnes race would be closest. The mountain got its name from its shape which some people think looks like a moose. The race route is mostly on trails with a long rocky section near the summit and is 29km with over 1000m of ascent. The race starts at an altitude of 1400m and goes almost to the summit at 2450m and the thinner air is noticeable.

An odd feature of races here is that you usually register for them the day before in one of the Calgary running shops. So on the way home from work on Friday I dropped by ‘Gord’s Store’. Amongst the shoppers, seated at a small table in a corner handing out numbers and safety pins, were the race organisers – quite bizarre!

Races here start early, typically 9am. The morning was chilly, about 2 deg C and overnight snow had left a dusting on the trails. Rosie and the children came along too and the children tried to keep warm by running around. There had been several bear sightings in the area recently, so the kids were told not to go venturing into the woods.

44 runners lined up at the start. I noticed the runner standing next to me had a holster containing a can of pepper spray. and having recently heard of Jonathan Bellarby’s bear encounters not far away in Canmore I wondered whether I should have brought some as well. So long as I’m not out in front I’ll be ok I thought.

The pace at the start was fast, and I had to try hard to stay in the leading pack of ten or so runners. Then came the start of a long climb through a forest and gradually the runners ahead of me started to fade. After a few km of climbing I surprisingly found myself at the front and pulling away from the second place runner. A few more km and I was alone at the front in bear country.

Hillwalkers here are encouraged to make loud noises when moving through forested areas to avoid encounters with bears or cougars. So I worked steadily up the hill shouting out loud ‘hellos’ and ‘oys’. It must have worked because I never did come across any wildlife. It was a relief to reach the treeline and get onto the final rocky climb onto the summit ridge. The views from the top were stunning, with the deep blue sky and the jagged white peaks of the Rockies forming a backdrop.

As this is an out-and-back race you have to run back through the pack on the descent. Here was a big difference from the UK, as I was high-fived by virtually every runner coming up. Nearly all called out things like gujaab (translation: good job = well done) or awwwsome (awesome = well done). I felt like Ian Holmes must do when descending on the Ben race and I’m sure my head expanded a few hat sizes.

Back into the forest and more shouting, this time a bit less taxing than on the ascent, and to the finish. After soup and a bewildering spread of other food items the prize-giving was held. The cup for first place was was enormous, like most things over here, though probably not as large as my head as Jason kindly commented! In fact the cup was too big to be taken home and resides year-round in the same running shop where the registration took place.

Links:

Results: http://www.calgaryroadrunners.com/results.php

Photos: http://www.calgaryroadrunners.com/photos.php



Carl

Tales from a wild life in the Rockies..

I thought I’d drop a line to tell you how one of the 3 Cosmic Canadian contingent is getting on. I left Scotland in May and am now based in the Rockies in a place called Canmore, not too far from Banff, but much quieter and less touristy. Very few races to report on, but plenty of runs – most involving some elevation gain as you might expect, some rather nice trails and awesome (for full effect say awwwwwsum) views. A rather nice if brutal hill path starts from behind the house. 1500m elevation gain in 2km. However it’s the wildlife that adds a new dimension – especially at this time of year. Several recent events have added excitement:
The neighbour’s cat was eaten by a cougar (aka mountain lion). It came back later (in the night) for the dog (a rather yappy terrier). Dog survived.
Last Sunday – a late afternoon run. Sleet, rain and dull. Encounter with very large moose with a fine set of antlers. Hid behind tree. What the book says about moose “A relict from the Pleistocene, up to 500 kg, up to 50 km/h on the flat, can dive to 5m in swamps. Do not provoke in the fall rut”.
Walking with family in mountains last week – mother bear and 3 cubs 100m away. No problems.
Tonight’s run. Set off a bit later than should have – dusk, alone, but still a great run. Standard practice is to shout YOHO every minute or so, to avoid unexpected encounters. Returning through the woods, 10 minutes from home. Black bear ahead. I stop, back off slowly (book says “don’t run”). Bear rises onto hind legs – is 20m away. Bear spray unholstered, safety guard off. I back off quicker, then run for it once out of sight. Have to make a 20 minute detour to lower trail. 10 minutes from home again. Black bear ahead (same one ??). Repeat but detour all the way down to road – except now nearly dark. No further encounters, but very, very nervous in the gloom. No further evening runs planned out of town.

Visitors welcome. World class for just about all sports involving mountains. Summer or winter.

However I’m missing the banter and the Scottish hill races though – especially Krunces. Hill racing as such is not part of the scene here. Keep up the photos and stories on web/email.

Regards

Jonathan Bellarby